I've found a few sugar maple trees in the woods behind my house and
about to cut'em down. But i'm not sure it's the right time of year. I
know the sap is higher in sugar in December & January. Right now the
sap is kind of bitter. Would i be better off waiting for the higher
sugar content before cutting or does it matter?

In article >,
(Peanut-Butter) wrote:

> I've found a few sugar maple trees in the woods behind my house and
> about to cut'em down. But i'm not sure it's the right time of year. I
> know the sap is higher in sugar in December & January. Right now the
> sap is kind of bitter. Would i be better off waiting for the higher
> sugar content before cutting or does it matter?

Maybe it's just my plebe palate, but I can't really tell any diff
(smoking-wise) between any of the maples, much less from sugar maple
from month-to-month. It makes all meat (salmon , too)all taste like
bacon or ham to me. That said-I do think that the main goodies in smoke
arise from burning the sugars in the wood (vascular cambium?) sooo
maybe going for the higher sugar might be the thing to do.
I DO know that the Jack Daniel distill'ry uses sugar maple for their
filtration charcoal - might be worth a call to Lynchburg to get their
take on when to properly harvest sugar maple.

monroe(FWIW maple smoked salmon is pretty hammy bacony good)

"Monroe, of course..." > wrote:
> [ . . . ]I do think that the main goodies in smoke
> arise from burning the sugars in the wood (vascular cambium?)[]

Vascular cambium! Good one, Monroe.

--
Intuitive insights from Nick, Retired in the San Fernando Valley
"Giving violent criminals a government guarantee that their intended
victims are defenseless is bad public policy."
- John Ross, "Unintended Consequences"
If you can read this, thank a teacher.
If you can read it in English, THANK A VETERAN!

> Maybe it's just my plebe palate, but I can't really tell any diff
> (smoking-wise) between any of the maples, much less from sugar maple
> from month-to-month. It makes all meat (salmon , too)all taste like
> bacon or ham to me. That said-I do think that the main goodies in smoke
> arise from burning the sugars in the wood (vascular cambium?) sooo
> maybe going for the higher sugar might be the thing to do.
> I DO know that the Jack Daniel distill'ry uses sugar maple for their
> filtration charcoal - might be worth a call to Lynchburg to get their
> take on when to properly harvest sugar maple.
>
> monroe(FWIW maple smoked salmon is pretty hammy bacony good)

Thanks for the advice Monroe, i think i'll wait until winter before
cutting them. I've never used sugar maple before but have heard some
people love it. If it adds a bacon or ham flavor to all meat i'm sure
i'll like it.

On 8 May 2004 10:44:59 -0700, (Peanut-Butter)
wrote:

>I've found a few sugar maple trees in the woods behind my house and
>about to cut'em down. But i'm not sure it's the right time of year. I
>know the sap is higher in sugar in December & January. Right now the
>sap is kind of bitter. Would i be better off waiting for the higher
>sugar content before cutting or does it matter?

And you want to kill a maple tree, why?

Harry